Battle for milk
OPINION: Fonterra may be on the verge of selling its consumer business in New Zealand, but the co-operative is not keen on giving any ground to its competitors in the country.
The co-op was expecting 90 million litres of milk daily at the peak, which normally runs between mid-October and end of October; milk supply has flattened at 88m L/day.
In recent years the co-op has been forced to dump buttermilk as milk supply exceeded production capacity at its plants.
Fonterra managing director global operations Robert Spurway told Rural News it had come "very very close" to peak milk target.
"Based on current weather and volume, we have passed the peak, only just," he says.
Spurway says milk supply has become flat at top of the curve; the co-op has been collecting 55 million litres of milk in the North Island and 33m L in the South Island at the peak.
He says milk supply has been strong, thanks to very good grass growth.
"In my talk with farmers, they seem to be very happy with grass growth.
"We have seen milk supply right through the shoulders of the season and leading up to the peak 5% ahead of forecast."
